Tap dancing takes center stage as a workout

September 03, 2006|By Nancy Maes, Special to the Tribune

If you think you can't tap dance, think again. It's possible with "Tap Warm-Up," a video by Jason Samuels Smith, the head of the tap program at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Culver City, Calif. Smith developed the 30-minute workout for beginners and advanced dancers but says that even novices can get into the swing of things.

He suggests that people doing the workout at home, which requires only a small space, buy a piece of scrap wood or plywood. "Harder surfaces such as concrete or marble don't have any give and can be hard on your knees and your back, but wood has some bounce or give to it," explained Smith, who performed with 15 other dancers in the world premiere of "Imagine Tap" this summer at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago.

Budding tap dancers can wear any kind of shoes for the workout. "It's more about practicing the movements and experiencing how they feel," Smith said. "Tap shoes just amplify the sound so you can hear what you're doing."

In the video, Smith presents the three basic moves of tap. He begins by slowly tapping each toe on the floor and then each heel. Then he introduces a shuffle in which he stands on one leg and brushes the other foot forward and back against the floor. He creates different patterns with the three basic moves and quickens the pace. "Some people have trouble because they don't know how to speed up, but if you limit your motion so it's tighter and closer to your body, you can speed up without sacrificing the clarity of your steps and your rhythms," Smith explained.

"The workout is a physical and a mental exercise because it increases your stamina and you have to think on your feet as you're exercising," he said, "but you'll also have fun."

Advanced tappers can try the workout of Smith's other video, "Tap Heat."